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Prep wrestling: ACGC heads to state

Tribune photo by Rand Middleton
Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 170-pound junior Maverick Whitcomb bears down on Paynesville junior Mike Ludwig on the way to a first-period pin and a 43-3 lead for the No. 1 seed in the Section 5A team tournament on Friday night in the semifinal round at Belgrade.

BELGRADE — After a three-year absence, the Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City Falcons are returning to the Class A Team State Wrestling Tournament after they edged two-time defending Section 5 champion Kimball 34-27 Friday in a jam-packed gymnasium at Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa High School.

The Falcons lost to Paynesville in 2010 and Kimball the last two years in the section title bouts, but this year ACGC hasn’t had much trouble racking up wins. ACGC has won 22 duals to just one loss and is the No. 2-ranked Class A team in the state.

Top-seeded ACGC never trailed Friday as they hammered No. 4 Paynesville 61-9 in the semifinals and claimed eight victories in its win over the No. 2 Cubs, who edged No. 3 Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa 35-27 in the other semifinal Friday.

Rylan Molinaro’s technical fall at 106 pounds and Derek Dengerud’s first-period pin at 120 gave ACGC a quick 11-3 lead. The Cubs won at 126 and 132 to tie the bout at 11-11, but the Falcons then got decisions from Logan Peterson at 138, Matthew Whitcomb at 160 and Maverick Whitcomb at 170, and pins from Larry Bomstad at 145 and Lee Whitcomb at 152 to surge ahead 31-11.

The Falcons were deducted a team point for unsportsmanlike conduct after the 170-pound match.

Lucas Damm added a 6-5 overtime win at 220 for ACGC

The team state tournament is Feb. 28 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

ACGC 34, Kimball 27

106: Rylan Molinaro, A, tcfl Payton Schiefelbein 5:16

113: Blane Tschida, K, dec Robert Rasmussen 4-1

120: Derek Dengerud, A, pin Payton Hanon 1:20

126: Quinten Berres, K, pin Cameron Whitcomb 4:50

132: Brady Mehr, K, dec Tyler Berghuis 6-3

138: Logan Peterson, A, dec Marcus Hamer 5-2

145: Larry Bomstad, A, pin Tom Lochen :21

152: Lee Whitcomb, A, pin Skyler Schiefelbein 1:17

160: Matthew Whitcomb, A, dec Markus Mehr 3-2

170: Maverick Whitcomb, A, dec Troy Filzen 4-0

182: Travis Wills, K, maj Jordan Nelson 12-1

195: Austyn Schlueter, K, pin Jacob Peterson 1:59

220: Lucas Damm, A, dec Tom Konz 6-5

285: Austin Schiefelbein, K, pin Jordan Fester 4:25

Semifinals

ACGC 61, Paynesville 9

Nine pins allowed the Falcons to cruise into the section final. ACGC’s three losses were by just a combined eight points — Anthony Wendlandt at 160, Derek Ludwig at 182 and Caleb Burris at 195 picked up Paynesville’s three wins on decisions — and five of its pins were in the first period; Robert Rasmussen at 113, Logan Peterson at 138, Larry Bomstad at 145, Maverick Whitcomb at 170 and Jordan Fester at 220.

Rylan Molinaro at 106, Derek Dengerud at 120, Lee Whitcomb at 152 and heavyweight Lucas Damm also collected pins for ACGC. Jesse Rogers added a major decision at 132 and Cameron Whitcomb won a 12-6 decision at 126.

106: Rylan Molinaro, A, pin Brandon Douglas 5:27

113: Robert Rasmussen, A, pin Jon Schaeffer :52

120: Derek Dengerud, A, pin Jared Kunstleben 2:16

126: Cameron Whitcomb, A, dec Damian Viessman 12-6

132: Jesse Rogers, A, maj Andrew Kerzman 12-2

138: Logan Peterson, A, pin Nathan Stang 1:10

145: Larry Bomstad, A, pin Jordan Karels :16

152: Lee Whitcomb, A, pin Alex Whitcomb 2:29

160: Anthony Wendlandt, P, dec Matthew Whitcomb 3-2

170: Maverick Whitcomb, A, pin Mike Ludwig 1:54

182: Derek Ludwig, P, dec Jordan Nelson 2-0

195: Caleb Burris, P, dec Jacob Peterson 9-4

220: Jordan Fester, A, pin Mitchell Floura :49

285: Lucas Damm, A, pin Tanner Harder 3:33

Kimball 35, BBE 27

The Jaguars led as late as 27-25 with just two matches remaining, but Kimball logged a major decision at 220 and a pin at heavyweight to clinch a spot in the title match.

Alex Schramel’s 8-3 decision at 152 gave BBE a 21-15 lead, but the Jaguars couldn’t hold on as the Cubs won five of the final six weights.